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Middle Schools in Norfolk City Public Schools

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At a glance

DistrictNorfolk City Public Schools112^th of 131 Virginia districtsFull district overview →

Schools

5,176

Students

Top rankedAcademy For Discovery At Lakewood133^rd of 416 Virginia middle schools

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Biggest riser

Blair Middle up 14 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Ruffner School 12.2 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

1★

0★

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Summary:

Norfolk City Public Schools is home to 6 middle schools serving a combined 5,176 students in grades 6–8 (with Academy for Discovery at Lakewood and Ruffner School also covering grades 3–8), and the district ranks 112th of 131 Virginia school divisions. Every middle school serves a high-poverty student body, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 87.75% to 100%. Academic performance varies dramatically: Academy for Discovery at Lakewood ranks in the 68th percentile statewide, while Ruffner sits at the 1st percentile.

Academy for Discovery at Lakewood is the district's clear academic leader, earning the only 3-star rating and posting proficiency rates in 8th grade reading (89.78%) and 6th grade math (58.42%) that far exceed district averages. Remarkably, it achieves these results despite 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 7.3% is the lowest in the group. Among traditional 6–8 schools, Azalea Gardens Middle is the strongest, leading the pack in 8th grade math (56.02%) and reading (65.83%), though its 24.3% chronic absenteeism rate is a concern. At the opposite end, Ruffner School struggles most, with 5th grade math proficiency at just 4.08% and the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 32.9%. Norview Middle, Blair Middle, and Northside Middle all rank in the bottom 15th percentile statewide.

Several patterns stand out across Norfolk's middle schools. Advanced course performance is strong—Blair Middle posts 99.15% proficiency in 7th grade Algebra I—yet grade-level math is a crisis, with Blair's 8th grade math proficiency at just 9.55%. Eighth grade Civics & Economics is a systemic weak spot, with every school falling well below the state average of 74.74%, while Geography and Earth Science are relative strengths. Spending and staffing do not predict success: Ruffner School spends the most per student ($12,376) and has the smallest class sizes, yet is the lowest-performing school, while Azalea Gardens Middle spends the least ($7,416) and is the best traditional middle school. Chronic absenteeism correlates strongly with outcomes, suggesting that improving attendance may be the most urgent priority for the district.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)			SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL Earth Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Geography (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (2026)		SOL VA Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 6th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 6th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 7th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Azalea Gardens Middle	Public	6-8	7721 Azalea Garden Rd	Norfolk	23518	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 531-3000	792	52	15.2	87.8%	196 (24.7%)	321 (40.5%)	176 (22.2%)	20 (2.5%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	70 (8.8%)	28.2	332^nd of 416 public middle schools	20.2%		27.5	335^th of 419 public middle schools	20.0%	3		75.0		100.0	97.9				44.4	22.2	56.0		38.0	473.0	96.6				61.4	53.4	65.8	90.7	86.0	50.3			$7,416	$221	$7,195
Blair Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	730 Spotswood Ave	Norfolk	23517	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 628-2400	1,141	77	14.8	93.3%	240 (21.0%)	676 (59.2%)	117 (10.3%)	22 (1.9%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	78 (6.8%)	24	354^th of 416 public middle schools	14.9%		20.2	368^th of 419 public middle schools	12.2%	14	≥ 50%	93.5	≥ 50%	99.2	95.7				36.0	19.9	9.6		18.3	95.1	87.3				62.3	61.6	54.8	83.1	95.2	32.1			$8,978	$318	$8,660
Northside Middle	Public	6-8	8720 Granby St	Norfolk	23503	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 531-3150	732	54	13.5	89.8%	168 (23.0%)	307 (41.9%)	181 (24.7%)	20 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	50 (6.8%)	13.4	384^th of 416 public middle schools	7.7%		25.1	348^th of 419 public middle schools	16.9%	36		88.2		93.3	78.0				35.8	30.8	24.2		42.1	478.0	100.0				51.6	55.9	54.1	97.6	100.0	34.2			$9,160	$155	$9,005
Norview Middle	Public	6-8	6325 Sewells Point Rd	Norfolk	23513	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 852-4600	1,196	81	14.7	88.9%	105 (8.8%)	789 (66.0%)	212 (17.7%)	19 (1.6%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (5.4%)	7.4	399^th of 416 public middle schools	4.1%		8.7	400^th of 419 public middle schools	4.5%	1		88.9		68.9	78.3				10.6	22.0	16.6		23.3	470.0	86.0				41.1	44.4	48.4	78.7	77.1	44.6			$8,022	$631	$7,391
Ruffner School	Public	3-8	610 May Ave.	Norfolk	23504	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 628-2466	576	47	12.2	93.4%	9 (1.6%)	531 (92.2%)	17 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (2.4%)	3	410^th of 416 public middle schools	1.4%		2.6	413^th of 419 public middle schools	1.4%	3		397.0		≥ 50%	100.0	17.1	39.1	4.1	19.5	11.9	16.6	4.1	17.0		≥ 50%	26.5	56.5	14.3	33.3	36.9	26.3	50.0	65.5	16.7	41.3	14.3	$12,376	$1,572	$10,804
Academy For Discovery At Lakewood	Public	3-8	1701 Alsace Ave	Norfolk	23509	Norfolk city	Norfolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 628-2477	739	50	14.7	100.0%	365 (49.4%)	223 (30.2%)	63 (8.5%)	19 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (8.8%)	66.2	133^rd of 416 public middle schools	68.0%		78.6	55^th of 419 public middle schools	86.9%	78		100.0		100.0	88.9	87.7	94.0	85.7	58.4		375.0	81.0			86.1	79.0	92.8	89.3	78.5	81.9	89.8	88.3	88.3		92.8	95.2	$8,184	$64	$8,120

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools
Virginia Department of Corrections	2.16 mi	62
Kings Daughters	2.56 mi	1
Governor's School For The Arts	2.78 mi	1
Department of Education State-Operated Educ Prgms	3.27 mi	23
Tidewater Regional Alternative Educational Project	4.06 mi	5

See the top VA Virginia districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.